Standards of Quality

Place your cursor over each dot to highlight detailed descriptions of the qualities and materials that make up an Alden shoe.

Classic
patterns, crafted with extraordinary attention to detail. Made on our exclusive
lasts, designed for comfort and refined appearance.

Upper
leather selected from the top grades of the finest tanneries in the world. Rich,
aniline calfskins, luxurious calf and kid suedes, and genuine shell cordovan.
Hand stained and polished to the classic patina that is the hallmark of the
custom bootmaker's art.

Heavy, natural leather insole of pure vegetable tannage. Unsurpassed for breathable comfort and long wear, it assumes over time the contours of your foot shape giving a truly custom quality to the fit.Beneath the insole is a layer of natural cork, providing additional resilience and insulation.

Every Alden New England shoe has a full leather lining chosen from our special stock of supple glove linings and smooth, glazed kip linings.

Oak tanned leather bends are cut into outsoles at our factory for maximum control of quality. Specially treated for durable wear, then patiently burnished with carnauba waxes to a fine luster.

Genuine Goodyear welt construction. Top quality leather welting is securely stitched through the upper to the insole rib. On models requiring the clean appearance of a close heel trim the welt runs from the heel forward. For other styles, such as brogues, where the solid look of an extended heel trim is appropriate the welt is stitched all around the shoe.

Every Alden New England shoe carries a tempered steel shank, precisely contoured and triple ribbed for extra strength. Truly the backbone of a fine welt shoe, the shank provides the proper support and shape so necessary when your day involves much walking and time on your feet.